


Cinnamon Bun

by OfficialStarsandGutters



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-06-14
Packaged: 2018-07-15 03:27:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7205018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfficialStarsandGutters/pseuds/OfficialStarsandGutters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Two times Richie was a Cinnamon bun, and one time he was a Sinner Badass</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cinnamon Bun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seazu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seazu/gifts).



“Oh dear.”

“Are you okay?” Severin looks across the table at Richard with concern. The spoon heaped high with chocolate fudge brownie ice cream is still suspended halfway to his mouth, forgotten. His eyes are looking over Severin's shoulder and his mouth is turned down into a frown. “Richie?”

“Her ice cream is going to fall.”

“What?” Severin glances over her shoulder.

“The little girl. The cute one with the the dreads. Her mum's on the phone and her cone's melting.”

Even as Richie says the words, the heap of ice cream on her little teddy bear cone slides sideways and drops to the ground. She doesn't react for several seconds, just staring at it as she comprehends what it means. Then she starts to wail.

Richard is on his feet within seconds and hurrying up to the till.

“I'm sorry sir, you'll have to join the line.”

“Yes. No. I'm sorry, but it's just, that little girl that just went out. Do you remember what flavour she got?”

“Sir-”

“The line. I know. But I don't have _time.”_

Neither does her mother, it seems, who has taken a break from her phone call to hush the wailing, but after a glance at the lengthy line, starts to lead the girl away. She looks through the window, tears still rolling down her little cheeks.

“She dropped her cone. Just. Please. Can you give me another one of those.”

“It's fine with me,” says the woman behind him, and Richard gives her his warmest, most genuine smile. “T'ank you so much.”

Thirty seconds later he is bounding out the door of the shop. He stops, looking up the street, but no sign of them. He takes off in the direction they left, and after a minute of jogging (but careful, oh so careful not to drop that ice cream) he is certain that they've gotten away from him.

Just as he's about to head back, he spots the little girl's yellow dress. He's lucky enough to have caught them at a traffic light.

“Uhm, excuse me.” The mother, still on the phone, doesn't acknowledge him, but the little girl looks up. She looks from Richard's face, to the cone, and her eyes widen. Richard smiles at her, but doesn't feel comfortable interacting further without her mother's acknowledgement. “Excuse me, miss?”

The woman's eyes move to him, narrowed in irritation.

“Just a minute, Dave.” She lowers the phone. “What?”

“I just saw your daughter had dropped her cone outside the shop back there. The employee said it was bubblegum, right?” His question is more aimed at the little girl, who nods her head in enthusiastic agreement. “I just wanted to bring her a replacement.”

Her face softens.

“That was awfully nice of you.”

“It's no big deal.” Richard shrugs, crouching down to give the little girl the cone. “It's a perfect day for ice cream, isn't it?”

“Yeah!” She returns his smile, her cheeks dimpling, as she accepts the cone from him.

“Just be careful it doesn't melt at the sides, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Say thank you, Tam.”

“Thank 'oo.”

“You're very welcome.”

The green man appears, and Tam's mother takes her hand, returns to her phone call, and steps across the road. Tam looks back over her shoulder at Richard for a few seconds before she turns her attention back to her cone. He watches them until they are lost in the crowd.

“Your ice cream started to melt,” Severin tells him upon his return.

“That's okay. It's still good.”

“Did you catch up to them?”

“Yes. Oh, Rin, she was so precious. Tam, her mum called her. I don't know if that's a nickname or- But she was _soooo_ cute.”

“Are you getting broody?”

“Shut _up_.”

“Then, when are you ever not?”

“Rin.” Richard pouts, and Severin smiles, reaching across the table to take his hand.

“I love you.”

“I love you,” Richard says, but his tone is sulky.

“Really, Richie. You're so sweet and kind and thoughtful, and you're going to be an amazing parent when we get the chance.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. Now eat your ice cream before it's completely melted.”

*

Severin's stomach drops when he steps through the door. He immediately recognises the sound of Richard crying, and within the matter of a few seconds, every possible bad scenario is running through his head. Jim is dead. Sebastian is dead. His fucking demon cat is dead, God _forbid,_ that might actually be the worst one and he's not sure he's equipped with the kind of emotional sensibility to help Richard navigate through that grief.

It is an immense relief, then, when he steps through to the living room and sees Pez lounging along the back of the couch. He raises his head slightly and looks at Severin with those piercing green eyes, the same cold stare Severin is always greeted with, before he falls back into his position of relaxation.

To his further relief, Richard is also on the couch, and looks relatively unharmed.

“Richie?”

He jumps a bit at the sudden sound of Severin's voice, and turns to look at him. His eyes are red rimmed and puffy. He looks heartbroken.

“Rin.”

Richie sniffs, and holds his arms up in silent demand for a hug. Severin drops his bag and hurries around the couch to do just that.

“Are you alright?”

“No.”

“What happened?”

“They rescued this dog from someone's back yard and the owner was old and had memory issues and she kept forgetting she had a dog and he had maggots in his fur and he was covered in sores and it was awful, but he was just so happy to have people petting him and paying attention to him, he was just so happy, Rin.”

“Isn't that good?”

“No! Because it turned out they can't save him and they had to put him down.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Richie, you know RSPCA Rescues always upsets you.”

“Not always.”

“A lot of the time.”

“I just hate when they've had to suffer and then they just get killed.”

“Isn't it better than-”

“I know. I know they're making the best decision for the animal. It's just- It's still sad.”

Severin nods his understanding. He moves to bring Richard closer, but apparently this turn of events has led Richard to consider how lucky he is to still have Pez alive and well, because he slips away from Severin to haul down his big, fluffy, fat cat. Pez yowls his protests as Richard cradles him closer, burying his head in Pez's fur.

Pez looks at Severin and bears his teeth. Severin ignores it, rubbing soft circles into Richard's lower back. At least he's stopped crying.

*

“Jim's not in at the moment.”

“Good. I'm not here to see Jim.”

For a moment, Sebastian wonders if it is actually Jim standing in front of him, for Richard's expression is so dark and angry that he is the spitting image of Jim. Like, yeah, they're twins, but usually Sebastian can pick them apart pretty easy; body language, expression, tone of voice. Now he's just faced with a bundle of Moriarty anger, and, as per fucking usual, completely uncertain as to what he's done to deserve it.

So he responds in true Sebastian fashion. With sarcasm. Making a show of looking around the flat.

“Well, no one else living here.”

Richard steps forward with such determination that Sebastian automatically steps back.

He steps down for no one, except Jim. Then Jim is the exception to many things. So his automatic move even surprises himself. He tells himself it must be the similarity, instinct to react to Jim's image even if he knows (thinks, is quite certain) that it is not Jim.

“Come in, then,” he says, covering that.

Richard does not slam the door the way Jim would, but he does close it with more force than necessary, getting a good, firm _click._ Sebastian eyes him warily. He has always written Richard off as the softer one, the “normal” one, as the twin that poses no threat. He wonders now if that is true. Wonders if you can survive being Jim's brother and come out soft and gentle on the other side.

“So, how is it I can help you, then?”

“It's not me that needs help. In fact, I think it's probably you.”

Still, he is at a loss.

“I mean, you're probably not wrong, but would you like to-”

“It's about Severin. You're constantly taking digs at him. About me, about us, about his sexuality.” Richard's voice does not raise, but there is a cold bite beneath his words.

“So? That's just banter.”

“Bullshit. It's prejudice and homophobia, against your own _brother._ ”

“What Severin and I discuss is none of your business.”

“Yeah, it is. If it upsets him. As his partner, that is my business.”

“He's my brother.”

“He's my _boyfriend_.”

Sebastian's expression falters, and he pulls a face.

“See,” Richard says, pointing an accusing finger at him. “That's exactly the kind of thing I mean.”

“Give me a break.”

“Give Severin a break. He's been through enough, Sebastian. I think he deserves a bit of happiness now. I think I can give him that. Is there a reason that is so offensive to you?” Sebastian does not answer, so Richard continues. “Of course there is. It's because I'm a man. You'd think in the grand scheme of things that tiny detail wouldn't really matter, but-”

“Okay. Yes. It's because you're a guy, and he's... You know. I'm just having a bit of trouble processing that.”

“It's been six months.”

“Already? Shit.”

“Yes.”

“Right. Well. I'm happy if Rin's- Whatever. I'd just prefer- I don't have to _like_ it.” Sebastian trails off weakly. What can he say? He can't help that it makes his skin crawl. Can't help that every time he sees them together it reminds him of his father's words, everything he ever said against the queers. Can't help that seeing them together makes him think of what he and Jim-

No. Ho ho. Stopping that train in its tracks.

“Fine. Don't like it. Just keep your mouth shut, then. Stop taking digs. Stop trying to undermine this for him. Look, I've always tried to be nice to you, Sebastian. Now that's never been based on the fact you work for Jim, or you're his flatmate, or- Whatever. It's because you're Severin's brother, and you're important to him, so I've made the effort.” Richard steps closer. His voice lowers. His eyes are narrowed and dark, and it is a look so familiar to Jim's that Sebastian has to swallow. That look means someone is in deep shit, and it's never good to have it aimed at him. “But I can very easily stop being nice. You're Rin's brother, and I would never act to hurt you, but I'm sure if I let something slip to Jim...”

Richard's expression suddenly falls. His eyes water. His lower lip quivers. He looks at Sebastian with big, damp puppy dog eyes, and Sebastian's not sure if Jim would actually buy into this, but he doesn't know their relationship well enough. Perhaps Jim is different with Richard. Perhaps this is genuinely something that would stir a protective response.

“Well. I wouldn't really have to do anything, would I?”

“Are you blackmailing me?” Sebastian sounds a mixture of surprised and impressed. Didn't think Richard had it in him.

“To be nice to your brother. How pathetic is that.” Richard sighs. Any trace of softness or sadness gone from him again. “I care about Severin immensely, and I will not let anyone impact his happiness. Not even you. He is still recovering. He needs love and support, not ridicule or mockery. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

With that, he turns and leaves, before Sebastian can even pull his thoughts together enough to form a response. Because fuckin' hell, he actually does feel guilty, which is a feeling he hasn't been acquainted with in a while. Guilty, and kind of annoyed that someone else is taking his place as Severin's protector. A sort of petty, jealous tug at his insides, as if he's been replaced.

It works, though. He keeps his mouth shut the next time Severin mentions Richard.


End file.
